Carton with lock top lid



Oct. 16, 1962 G. E. sTRuBLE CARTON WITH LOCK TOP LID Filed April 25, 1961 INV ENTOR Glenn E. S/rub/e KARL. LO :FLoc as ATTORNEY 3,058,578 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 lice 3,058,578 CARTQN WITH LOCK TGP LID Glenn E. Struble, Hamilton, Ohio, assigner to Diamond National Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 25, 1961, Ser. No. 105,391 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-8) This invention relates generally to containers, and more particularly to a novel lock construction incorporated in containers constructed from paperboard and the like maten'al.

Conventionally, containers of the character involved, i.e. hat boxes, for example, generally require -tie strings or other types of fasteners to retain the lid on the bottom portion of the container when the customer is carrying the hat box home. The incorporation of tie strings, or the like, results in expensive manufacturing procedures and are not generally desirable.

A primary object of this invention is to provide novel lock means for containers of the hat box type wherein the lock means automatically functions to retain the lid on the bottom portion of the box and the box may be readily transported by means of a suitable handle with the lid disposed in a vertical position.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a paperboard container assembly novel lock means for a displaceable lid which lends itself to assembly on mass production apparatus while requiring a minimum of material, gluing and the like.

A still further object of the invention is to provide novel lock means for a container assembly which may be readily engaged and disengaged and is satisfactory and practical 4for the purposes intended.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hat 4box assembly including a hat receiving insert retained in the hat box by novel lid lock means prior to locking of the lid on the bottom member of the hat -box and disposition of a hat therein and alfording positive lock means during transport of the hat box when packed with the hat.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. l is a perspective View of a container assembly incorporating the novel lock means of the invention, and showing the manner in which the container assembly is normally carried;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective View of the container assembly of FIG. 1, showing the lid of the container raised, and showing by means of dotted lines a hat receiving insert incorporated in the bottom member of the container;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged 4fragmentary section taken substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a view similar -to FIG. 3, showing the relative position of the parts prior to being disposed in the condition shown in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary exploded perspective View showing details of FIG. 4.

Referring to lthe drawings in detail, a container assembly of the hat box type is indicated generally at 10, the container assembly comprising a bottom member indicated generally at 12 and a top or lid member indicated generally at 14.

The bottom member 12 is constructed from a suitable paperboard material of the like and comprises a rectangular bottom wall 16 having extending vertically therefrom integral back, front and side walls 18, 20, 22 and 24, respectively. Disposed within the bottom member 12 is a suitable hat-receiving insert indicated generally at 26 and being of a conventional character. Although the insert 26 is conventional and includes upwardly extending tabs 27 juxtaposed on the inner surface of side walls 22, 24, see FIGS. 2-5, the tabs will be disposed beneath locking flaps to subsequently vbe described in detail lto aid in retaining the insert in the bottom member 12 prior to the packing of a hat in the bottom -member and locking of the lid member 14 thereon.

Incorporated in the back wall 18 is a suitable handle assembly indicated `generally at 28 which may be of the character `disclosed and described in U.S. Letters Patent to Kramer et al. #2,916,196, December 8, 1959.

The `side walls 22 and 24 of the |bottom member 12 have foldably connected to their upper, co-planar marginal edges 30 elongated, locking, flap means 34 and 36,v respectively. The locking ilapmeans or flaps 34 and 36 may Ihave inwardly tapered end portions to prevent interference with the inner surfaces of the back and front walls 18 and 20. The ilaps 34 and 36 will Ibe normally folded inwardly over the bottom wall 16 prior to 'a hat being inserted in the hat receiving insert 26. After the hat H has been inserted in the receiving insert 26, the flaps 34 and 36 are folded outwardly and downwardly in angular relationship with respect to the outer surface of the respective side walls 22 Iand 24, see FIGS. 4 `and 5. The lower marginal edges 3-8 and 40 of the respective iiap means 34 and 36 will abuttingly engage a cooperating portion of the t-op member 14, as will subsequently be described in detail.

The top member 14 comprises a top wall 42 and peripheral, depending side walls, land is telescopically received over the upper end of the bottom member 12. The two opposed depending side walls 44 and 46 of the top member which will overlie the respective side walls 22 and 24 of the bottom member include at their lower marginal edges 4S and 5G, respectively, an inwardly folded flap or strip portion 52 and 54, respectively, which is fadhesively secured in juxtaposition on the inner surface of the respective side walls 44 and 46. The upper marginal edges 56 and 5S of the flaps 52 and 54 terminate below the top wall 42 of the top member 14 and form recess portions 60 and 62, respectively, which will receive the lock aps 34 an-d 36, respectively, therein, see FIG. 3.

After the hat H is disposed in the bottom member 12, the lock flaps 34 and 36 :are lfolded 4outwardly into the position shown in lFIGS. 2, 4 and 5. The top member 14 is then telescoped onto the upper end of the bottom member 12, i.e., the top member 14 is moved from the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, to that of FIGS. l and 3.

When the top member 14 is disposed on the bottom member 12, the lock iiap members 34 and 36 will spring into the respective recesses 60 and -62 and the marginal edges 40, '58 and 38, `56 will be in abutting engagement. The handle assembly 28 will be oriented to the condition shown in FIG. l, and the top member 14 will be retained on the bottom member 12 by the cooperating lock aps 34, 52 and 36, 54 to facilitate ready transport of the container assembly.

In order to remove the top member 14 from the bottom member 12. it is merely necessary to insert ones ngers beneath the depending side walls 44, 46, pull the side walls outwardly and then lift the top member oil" the bottom member 12.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and `described in the specification but only yas indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A three piece hat box assembly comprising ka bottom member including a `bottom wall and at least two vertically extending opposed side walls terminating in cplanar upper margins, said margins including outwardly, foldable lock-flap means positionable Ibeneath said upper margins adjacent the outer surface of said side Walls, a hat receiving insert removably received in said 'bottom member and including spaced, vertically extending tab elements juxtaposed on the inner surfaces of said side walls, terminating substantially at said upper coplanar margins of said side walls for receipt beneath said -foldable lock flap means, and la detached lid member including a top receivable on said bottom and including at least two depending side walls juxtapositionable 011 the outer surface of said two side Walls of said bottom member, said depending side walls of said lid member including lockstrip means detachably engageable with said lock-flap means for removably retaining said lid member on said bottom member, said lock-ap means comprising an elongated ap foldably connected to the upper marginal edges of the bottom member side wall and normally extending angularly and downwardly away from said side walls, said lock-strip means comprising an elongated flap folded inwardly along the entire lower margins of said depending side walls and secured in overlying relation along its length on the inner surfaces of Vsaid depending walls of the top member, said last mentioned elongated ilaps including an upper marginal edge parallel to and terminating below the inner surface of said lid top and forming a recess portion therewith accommodating the entire length of said elongated flaps of said bottom member therein, said recess portion being substantially the same width as said aps on said bottom members along the entire length thereof, the marginal edges of said elongated flaps on said bottom and top members being abuttingly engageable in coplanar relation when the top member is ydisposed on said bottom member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,545,802 Bergstein Ma-r. 20, l 2,777,629 Osteen Jan. 15, 1957 2,794,543 Sahnrberg June 4, 1957 2,902,202 Fallert Sept. l, 1959 2,983,429 Bergstein May 9, 1961 

